Darkness within innocence
by Sorceress of the Nile
Summary: While on a search for the Keeper of Lost Souls, Dark, Krad and Linian are pulled into the web that has links with a string of murders and kidnappings, and they don't have very much time to find a way out of the twisted game. Rated for violence and gore. Rating subject to change to Mature. Subtle hints of a OcxDark.
1. Chapter 1

** Chapter one: The haunted elementary and the Keeper of the Lost Souls**

The building was rather mysterious and looming in the quiet darkness of the abandoned school yard. Bricks of red and gray made up the building's walls and green moss covered them. Windows that were set in black painted panes looked out into the courtyard and were covered with a thin layer of tinted glass. Linian couldn't help but feel a very dark overhanging presence around the building as she and Dark landing only a few steps from the front door. Dark was dressed in his usual black sleeveless tee with the white stripe down the middle over his black pants and shoes. Over his arm was his long tench-coat that was covered in silver buckles. Linian herself was dressed in a black and silver shirt that left her shoulders bare and covered her arms, stopping at her wrists. She wore light blue jeans with silver blue treading and black combat boots. Her black hair was tied back in a braid with stray pieces of hair framing her bronze eyes and cream colored face.

"What was our objective again?" Linian asked Dark, who was eying the looming building. With was perched on Dark's shoulder and watching the building with uneasiness.

"We have to find a necklace named 'The Keeper of Lost Souls.' Emiko said to seal it on the spot."

"That's rather strange." The bronze angel remarked and Dark gave her a funny look.

"Why's that?" Linian looked up at the building again.

"It just seems like Emiko doesn't want that artwork near them. I think we're dealing with something that has a story behind it."

"Oh now just being paranoid." Linian death glared him as he walked up the stone steps of the building. With hopped off his master's shoulder and sat by Linian's feet. Linian picked him and he kyu'ed.

"Something about this building doesn't seem right, Dark. It's hard to describe."

"Well try." He said as he began to pick the lock.

"I sense a very dark presence around this place. Like something very bad and horrific happened here." Dark hummed as he pulled the chain and lock off of the steel door handles.

"Ladies first." Linian rolled her eyes.

"Baka." She muttered as she pressed her body against the door. With a grunt, it creaked open, leading them into a dark hallway. Linian and With slipped in first and Dark followed, shutting the door behind him. There was a click and Linian was blinded by a sudden light. Linian yelped and Dark chuckled.

"Don't worry, it's a flashlight." Dark lowered the small light as Linian glared at him.

"Ass, it's creepy enough as it is." She hissed and Dark chuckled.

"Kyu!" With agreed and Dark chuckled.

"Aw, are you scared?"

"I am not!" She retorted and Dark gave her an amused look.

"Right." Linian snatched the flashlight out of Dark's hand and walked forward.

"Come on, baka. We don't have all night." Dark grunted and followed. The pair and the familiar walked slowly though the winding corridors of the hallway with Linian shining the flashlight over the corridor. The nagging feeling that they were being watched hung over Linian and she would glance over her shoulder to check if there was anyone behind them. Dark noticed and tapped her shoulder, making her jump.

"Linian, it's going to be okay. I'm right here and there isn't anything to be afraid of." He reassured her, taking her hand. Linian smiled and gave it a light squeeze. Still holding Dark's hand, Linian and Dark walked deeper into the school. She froze when a cold breeze brushed her shoulder.

"What is it?" Dark asked and Linian's eyes narrowed.

"I felt something cold brush against me." Linian shone the flashlight around the corridor they were standing it.

"I wonder if..." She murmured. She let go of Dark's hand and drew a bronze feather from her pocket. She gently scooped With off her shoulder and let him hop onto Dark's shoulder.

_"Show me what is unseen..."_ She spoke in Latin, making the feather glow bronze. Tendrils of bronze touched her eyes and she opened them to gasp. Two female students between the age of ten and eleven were walking aimlessly up and down the hallway. What she noticed upon closer inspection was they were tinted blue and horribly mutated. One of the girl spirits brushed by her with nothing above her neck. Another girl spirit was walking around with her left eye gorged out. Both of the spirits were making gurgling nosies and moaning as they pasted. The girl with the missing left eye kept moaning:

"Gih id back! Gih id back!"

"Linian, What's wrong?" She looked over at Dark.

"Don't you see it?"

"See what?" Linian simply touched his forehead and allowed her magic to flood into him. It jolted him a little then he gasped as he set eyes on the spirits that were wandering up and down the hall.

"Who are those kids?" Dark asked and Linian shrugged.

"I don't know. Does Daisuke know?" Dark shrugged.

'Daisuke, do you see the spirits?'

\\Yes, why, Dark?\\

'Do you know who they are?'

Daisuke was silent and Dark waited.

\\I remember reading about a string of kidnappings and murders that happened at an elementary school some years ago. The spirits must be the victims./

'Thanks Daisuke.' Dark looked at Linian.

"Apparently this was an elementary school where a string of kidnappings and murders happened." Dark sidestepped to avoid the girl with the missing head. With kyu'ed in fright and Dark patted his head.

"Those must be the spirits of the victims of the murders."

"They can't be older then grade five and six." Linian said with sorrow in her voice.

"Who would do this to only kids?" Dark shrugged.

"A very twisted person, that's for sure. Kinda sounds like something Krad would do." Linian rolled her eyes and walked on.

\\I remember hearing about four victims. All of them girls.\\ Daisuke remarked.

'If those two were two of the victims, then the other two should be somewhere around here.' The flashlight beam scanned over the walls and floor as Linian and Dark walked farther down the corner.

"That explains the dark presence." Linian remarked. "It must have been the lost spirits of the children that were murdered."

"Wouldn't they have moved on by now?" Dark asked and she shook her head.

"Sometimes lives that ended abruptly can't move on for whatever reason. Some are angry and will attack people on sight. Others morn and can't move on unless someone releases them, or in Katsan's case, don't want to move on and can stay bond to someone or something that held weight in their life." Dark lifted an eyebrow.

"Did Katsan tell you that?"

"No, I just know that from talking to spirits."

"Of course you do." The hallway they were in soon opened up to a common area with benches and tiles. Windows that looked in offered some light to the large room that Linian turned off the flashlight. Dark tapped her shoulder and she jumped. Dark tried to shuffle a snicker as Linian glared.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, Linian." Linian rolled her eyes.

"Sure, baka."

"You need to stop calling me that." Linian could see a pout on the phantom thief's face. A smirk twisted her lips.

"I only call you that because it's true." She retorted. Dark frowned and she snickered. They walked forward, searching for their target. Their footfalls clicked on the tiles and the sound echoed loudly off the walls.

"It's not here." Dark muttered and Linian told him to hush. She listened intently to hear the steady footsteps coming their way.

"Dark, someone's coming."

"Probably a cop, hide." He grabbed her wrist and pulled Linian behind a shadowed column. With softly kyu'ed again and Dark hushed him. The footsteps grew louder and louder, until a voice rung out.

"Are you really resorting to hiding in the shadows, Dark?" Dark scowled when he recognized the voice. Krad.

"What's he doing here?" Linian whispered and Dark shrugged. Linian peered around the other side of the column to see that it was indeed Krad. He was standing in the center of the room, scanning it with cold gold eyes for the pair of thieves.

"Now where are you two hiding?" A wave of cold washed over Linian suddenly and she gave a little gasp. A childish giggle rung out loud and clear.

"What the?" Dark asked, looking around.

"What is that?" Krad asked, doing the same. Linian listened to find that the laughter was coming from... behind her. She turned on her heel and cried out as a black shadow sent her flying back. She grunted as she connected with the hard tile floor.

"Oof!" Dark landed next to her.

"Kyu!" Linian sat up in time to catch the flying rabbit that had fallen off of Dark's shoulder. Krad sent flying back and pinned to the wall by an unseen force. The giggling sounded again and the three watched the shadow twist, until it took the form of a small girl about eleven with long black hair and gray empty eyes. Her sailor uniform was stained crimson and in her hand was a pair of large rusted sewing scissors that were soaked with blood.

"Hello, do you want to play with me?" She asked in a high pitched voice. She began to slowly open and close the scissors, the soft sip, sip, sip sounds echoed off the walls of the room. Linian stood and took a step closer to the girl.

"Why do you have those scissors?" She asked slowly.

"These? It's my plaything, don't you want to play with me?" Linian shot a glance at Krad, who was looking at the girl like she was completely insane. Linian quickly turned back to the girl.

"It's your plaything? Didn't someone tell you not to play with scissors?"

"They did, but I never listened." The girl giggled again and her form shifted back to a shadow again.

"I know what you want to find, but in order to find, you have to play with me." Her voice rung out. Krad dropped down and Dark stood.

"Stand back to back." Linian ordered and they both reluctantly complied.

"Who are you?" Linian asked.

"I'm your worse nightmare come to life. Every fear that you've had, I embody it." The girl's voice said. The slow sipping noises continued to echo off the bare walls of the room and the three angels scanned for the girl.

"If I should die as I sleep, then let all the angels weep.

If I should die before I wake, I pray to the Lord my soul to take." The voice, this one hollow spoke.

"That girl's worse than creepy boy." Dark muttered, earning a sideways glare from Krad.

"Why is she singing that quote?" Linian wondered aloud.

"To be creepy?" Dark supplied and Linian frowned.

"Shush Dark." She snapped and listened as the faint sipping sound of the scissors opening and closing. With bounced up onto her shoulder as she drew a feather.

_ 'Allow me to see though your eyes.'_ Linian spoke in Latin, making the feather glow. The childish giggle from before rung out again.

"Come play my game..." The girl's voice rung out. Suddenly the floor opened and Linian screamed as they started to fall. A wind sucked them in like a black hole, making it difficult to escape by flying. Linian held on tightly to With and locked hands with Dark.

"Hang on!" With gave a frightened kyu as Linian held him close to her chest with one arm and held tightly onto one of Dark's hand's with her free hand. Linian tightly closed her eyes as the world went black.

* * *

**A/N: First horror fanfiction and to be honest I kinda like it. I got inspired after (Won't you believe it) Watching Cry play Corpse party. I liked the storyline of the game and changed it around a little to make it my own. Hehe, I'm really mean to my characters. I just kinda spilled it out and I worked on the ending during my free block at school and during time when I was done my work. ^^ Hehe, anyways, I don't own Dark or Krad, or Daisuke. Just Linian and the other characters that DIDN'T appear in the anime or the manga, they are mine. And please leave a comment! Hopefully it's good for my first time. ^^' TTFN! Legend to font below:**

'Daisuke talking via mindlink'

/Dark talking via mindlink/

_'Any of the angels chanting in Latin.'_ Please note: Most of the time I will tell you readers who is chanting, most of the time it's either Dark or Linian.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter two: The bloody murder of four girls and the quest to find home.**

Linian moaned as she opened her eyes and stiffly sat up. It was very dark and the floor that she was sitting on was cold like concrete. The air was cold and heavy, the smell of rotten wood hung in the air. A groan sounded next to her and Linian managed to make out a form clad in black.

"Kyu!" A white lump hopped onto Linian's stomach and Linian petted With.

"Linian? You okay?" Dark asked next to her as he sat up and she nodded.

"I think so, yea. And With seems to be okay." She looked at Dark. She could see his eyes in the darkness, very though they were a dark purple.

"What about you?"

"About the same, a little sore though." Dark stood and offered a hand to Linian which she took. With bounced up her arm and perched himself on her shoulder.

"Wonder where the hell we are." Dark murmured.

"I think we're in the basement under the building." Linian said as she blindly began to search for the small flashlight.

"Here." Dark took five feathers and lit them like candles. Linian rolled her eyes at the trick.

"Showoff." A cocky smirk twisted his lips, showing off his teeth.

"Yep."

"Baka." She muttered loud enough for him to hear. She ignored the mock hurt look that she got from the Phantom thief and scanned the floor for the flashlight. Remarkably, it wasn't broken from the fall and was lying on the ground not far from where Dark and Linian had landed. Linian walked up, picked it and flickered it on to be face to face with Krad. She yelped, jumping back in surprise. An amused slight grin twisted the white angel's lips.

"Did I frighten you, Linian?" He teased and she angrily glared at him.

"I don't need you sneaking up on me like that! It's bad enough that I get that from Dark." She hissed angrily, glaring at the other angel, who merely grunted. Linian turned and pointed the flashlight around the room to see that the room was littered with wooden crates of different sizes. Linian hummed when she saw that some of the crates were rotten. She walked up to one and with a grunt, managed to open it with one hand.

"Nothing in here but dust and a few spiders." She announced on a sour note. Dark opened another one.

"Nothing of interest in this one." Krad opened one that was in one of the farther corners of the room.

"Or in this one." Krad dropped the lid, making a loud 'BANG!' Dark glared at him as Linian moved to another crate. This one had something interesting inside. A book that was bond with a faded black cover with faint silver stenciled letters in it.

"If you two are done glaring at each other, I think I found something." Dark peered over her right shoulder and Krad over her left shoulder. Linian's hand brushed away the thin layer of dust on the cover.

'Heavenly Corridors Elementary School. Years 2001-2002' The cover read in silver. Linian rested the book on one of the crates and opened to the book to the third page to find the page filled with rows on rows of photos of students in oval borders with their names and class rooms underneath.

"Looks like an old yearbook, but why would someone leave it in the basement?" Linian shrugged.

"It must be a clue from the girl with the scissors that pulled us into this. It's our guide in her little game." Linian turned the page and Krad frowned.

"Isn't that her?" He pointed to a picture of a girl looking dully at the camera. Her long black hair was half shielding her dull gray eyes.

"Koska Akane. Room E-2." Dark read the caption underneath.

"Hm, now at least we know her name."

"True, but we don't know why she left this for us to find." Linian pointed out. Krad looked over to see a scrap piece of paper pinned to one of the crates.

"What is this?" He asked as he unpinned the piece of paper and looked at it.

"Here, read this." Dark took the paper and Linian pointed the flashlight at the scrap. It was a clipping of a news article dated June 18 2002.

"Although the some of the details of Sunday's discovery in the basement of the Heavenly Corridors Elementary school are clouded, it has been confirmed that there were indeed four bodies of the four young girls that disappeared last week. All the girls were the ages between the ages of ten and twelve. Although we are not allowed to release the names of the victims in respect to the morning families, the police have allowed this newspaper to publish the details of the serial murders and kidnappings. I will warn you readers that the details are gruesome." Dark and Linian shared a sideways glance.

"According to the police, each victim was bond and blindfolded, to sprawled out in a line and was murdered one by one." Linian shuddered as Dark continued to read.

"The first victim died from serve blood loss due to the removal of the organs. Her ribs were broken and her heart, and liver were removed. Her discarded organs were found half buried beneath the earthen floor of the school basement where the bodies were discovered. The second victim died of multiple stab wounds to the torso, specifically the stomach with a large pair of sewing scissors, which were found in the suspects' hand. The third victim had her left eye stabbed with the aforementioned scissors until it had a jelly like consistency and was scooped out of her eye-socket. She was then left to die, slowly bleeding to an agonizing death. The final victim had her spinal cord severed and her head removed, which was later discovered discarded in the sewers."

"So what does this have to do with that?" Krad asked. Linian turned and gasped to see a deep crimson liquid was on the page before the photos. She turned to see blood forming words on the blank page.

"Four little girls all better then me,

But they fail to see what lies beneath.

Black on black, red on red,

I have nothing to dread." Linian read aloud. She was silent then looked at the other two.

"It's a message, she knows what she did was wrong and she feels no regret."

"Why?" Dark asked and she shrugged.

"I don't know, but I do know that if we find something that all four girls shared, we can send them to the afterlife and maybe find our way home."

"What will we use?" Krad asked. "For all we know, they could have been complete strangers."

"Dark, let me see that article." Dark handed it off to her and she scanned it will the flashlight.

"Ah ha!" She smirked triumphantly.

"What?" Dark asked.

"Kyu?" With asked from Linian's shoulder.

"The article says that all of the victim's tongues were removed after they were all killed."

"Why would that girl remove her victim's tongues?" Dark asked.

"I remember Katsan telling me that if you remove a person's tongue after death, the ghost can't speak. Until their tongue is found and returned, then the spirit can't tell their story, and it means that they have a harder time moving on."

"So you're thinking that she cut out their tongues to keep them here?" Dark asked and Linian nodded.

"Remember what I said before? About how a spirit can't move on because they need to be released? If we return the tongues to the girls maybe we can free them and they'll help us find a way back." Dark glanced at Krad.

"We'll have to rely on you, Linian. You're the only one that can speak to them."

"I know, by the way, Krad, you can't see the spirits." She pointed the feather in her hand at the white angel.

"I can fix that." Before Krad could react, she cast the same spell that she cast on Dark earlier.

"There, now you both can see and hear the spirits, but you can't talk directly to them."

"Now that we can see the spirits, how do you suggest we find the girl's tongues?" Krad asked. Linian passed With to Dark and closed the yearbook. She pointed the feather in her hand at the cover to reveal scribbles in blood red ink.

"Spirit writings. They'll give us clues as to where each of the girl's tongues are hidden, but it wouldn't give us help as to who it belongs to. That we will have to figure out on our own."

"So what do they say?"

"In a hall, black like the night,

Awaits the past filled with spite.

Here it lies, the treasure you seek,

Find it and it's yours to keep."

"Hallway?" Dark asked and Krad snorted.

"No really? That was a stupid question, Dark." Dark glared at his other half and Linian sighed.

"You two are acting like you're thirteen. Honestly, Katsan was more mature then this." She snapped and Krad and Dark looked at her.

"What? It's the truth."

"Dark was the one that asked a stupid question." Krad retorted.

"I don't care, you two are still acting like a pair of thirteen year old boys, Now I'm telling you to knock it off." Dark and Krad shrugged.

"Look, lets just look for some way to get out of this place." Linian said, glancing around the room, pointing the flashlight at nearby objects. All of a sudden, she caught a glimpse of a wooden door not too far away. She approached said door, but it was locked.

"Damn." She muttered.

"Better find a key, then..." She started off in a random direction, dragging the other two behind her. After a few minutes of searching, Dark exclaimed very loudly,

"I found it!" Linian and Krad both looked in his direction, and he was indeed holding a rusted key to the door. Linian snatched the key from his hand and turned back to the door, and tried the key. The lock clicked and the door creaked as Linian pushed it open. As she poked her head into the dark hallway on the other side, she heard a sound she was rather familiar with, the sound of a girl crying. She turned the flashlight in the direction of the sound, only to see the eerie electric blue glow of a spirit. The trio stopped dead in their tracks. The small girl was sitting in a corner of the corridor with her knees up to her chest and her face on her knees. The sobbing continued to echo in the hallway until a small squeak from Krad's left boot gave them away, and the sobbing halted, causing a deadly silence to overcome them, making a shiver run up the spines of all three of the living occupants in the room. The girl looked up and Linian swallowed down the lump in her throat. The girl stood and started to slowly glide towards them. She stopped only three steps from Linian and started to glow angry red.

_'Step aside and allow us to past!'_ Linian hissed in Latin, the feather in her hand glowing bronze and blasting the spirit back.

"Now run!" Linian yelled and the trio bolted down the corridor as the spirit squeaked angrily after them. With held onto Dark's shoulder as the three of them dashed though the corridor to escape that ghost. They stopped and tried to catch their breath.

"What was that?" Dark asked. Linian looked at him.

"That was must have been one of the victims, I wonder where the last one is."

"I don't know, but I don't intend to have another encounter like that again." Dark said. Krad rolled his eyes as they followed Linian down the corridor again.

* * *

A/N: And here is the next chapter to Darkness between innocence. Gold star to Bottomless pit of EMOTIONS for reviewing! :D Have a cookie! Anyways I only own Linian, Katsan and the other characters that I created. TTFN!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: "Now we are in the game."**

The flashlight scanned the hallway as Linian, Dark and Krad walked slowly though. Krad would glance back every now and then to see if there was a spirit following them, but he would only see darkness in the hall. A sudden crack of thunder made them all jump as it rumbled outside.

"That doesn't at all make it more ominous." Linian muttered. With kyu'ed as he tried to hide on Dark's shoulder.

"Come on, lets keep going." Linian said. The floorboards of the corridor creaked and groaned as the trio walked over them. When Krad stepped on one, it collapsed in on itself and he gave a cry.

"What happened?" Linian asked, pointing the flashlight at Krad to see his leg was stuck in the floor.

"One of the floorboards collapsed and my foot is stuck." Linian handed Dark the flashlight and brushed away the loose pieces of wood.

"Pull your foot out." Krad did and he stood.

"Thanks Linian." She nodded and knelt.

"Pass the flashlight." Dark placed it in her open hand and she pointed the beam down the hall to yelp. Within the hole was a body of white human bones.

"What on earth?" Krad muttered and Dark looked at the body with wide eyes.

"Are those human bones?"

"I think they are, Dark." Linian said, stock in her voice.

'You three are the newest victims, are you not?' Dark yelped in surprise. Linian frowned. She slipped into the hole and took a step closer to the body.

"Who are you?"

'I was brought here against my will and confided in this school. Left to die like a common animal, like you.'

"Confided, You mean to say that there's no way out?"

'I'm afraid not, this school is of its own reality. Plans on top of one another, like a maze, all created by vengeful spirits. Innocents are brought here and left to die.' Linian shoot a glance at the other two angels.

'This nexus is cursed, and completely controlled by the girl with the blood scissors.'

"Akane?"

'So that's her name? Beware, she's a devil child. She is the one that controls it all and she is the one that closes all the spaces.'

"What do you mean by that?"

'This Akane, she was the murderess that killed her fellow students. She and the other vengeful spirits are always pulling victims from your world and trapping them here. Eventually they either die from hunger or go completely insane and kill themselves.'

"So we were pulled into here by vengeful spirits, why?"

'I don't know, neither the motives that fuel our capturers or a way to escape this hell, but if I could get you some advice.'

"And what's that?"

'Work together and stay together. Three heads are better then one. It's too late for me but maybe you can find a way.' Linian stood, drawing a feather from her pocket, taking it between her middle finger and her pointer finger of her right hand.

"I may not know your name, but at least I can give you a chance to be free and search for happiness in the next life."

'You would do that?'

"Think of it as an eye for an eye. You gave us information, it is the least I can do."

'You don't have to.'

"I am the Linian, the bronze angel. Speaker of the dead and I give you the gift of freedom." Linian shut her eyes and the feather glowed a soft bronze. Tendrils of bronze light ruffled though the loose strands of her hair and wrapped around the bones of the body.

'Thank you Linian.' Then the presence vanished and Linian exhaled deeply. Dark hopped down and let her lean on him.

"Come on, we better keep going." Dark lifted Linian out of the hole and followed. They soon came to some stairs and Linian tripped.

"Oof! Ow..." Dark knelt by her side.

"You okay?"

"I think so." She winced. "I think I twisted my ankle though." Krad lingered on the stairs, watching for spirits as Dark examined her ankle.

"I think you twisted it pretty good. You better keep off of it for a little bit until we can make a splint." Dark turned.

"Here, climb on." Linian wrapped her arms around his neck. Hooking his arms under her legs, Dark lifted her onto his back.

"You comfortable back there?" She nodded. Dark smiled and started to climb the stairs with Krad following. With curled up in the crook of Linian's neck and started to doze off. Linian smiled as the little bunny slept, his ears brushing gently against her cheek. Krad glanced around to see a door in the hallway on the left side marked 'Infirmary'

"Dark, there's an infirmary. Perhaps we can rest there." Dark nodded. Krad walked up to the door and turned the handle to find that the door wasn't locked. Krad lifted an eyebrow at that but shook it off. Beds with a thin layer of dust sat in a line along the wall and cabinets with medicines and tonics lined the other wall.

"These beds are surprisingly clean." Dark remarked.

"You would think there would be more dust." Krad agreed. Dark gently let Linian slip off his back and on to one of the beds as Krad searched for supplies that could be used to make a splint.

"I thought you could heal, Linian." Dark said as he sat down next to her.

"I used too much energy talking to those spirits and allowing you two see them. If I rest, I probably regain enough energy to heal." She shivered, despite it not being cold. Dark draped his coat over her shoulders and she gave a slight smile.

"Thanks." Dark nodded.

"I found old wood and a couple bandages." Krad said walking up. "That will have to do." Krad knelt next to her foot and encased her foot in a makeshift splint. After a few moments, he stood.

"There, that should do."

"Thanks Krad." Krad stretched and walked aimlessly around the room. Linian lay down on the bed she was on and yawned. Dark chuckled as he wrapped his coat around her like a blanket.

"I don't why I'm so tired." She muttered with her eyes heavy. Dark placed a hand on her forehead.

"Try and get some sleep. I'll stay here." She grunted then her eyes closed and she drifted off. With curled up on her stomach and fell asleep as well.

"It's amazing how she can sleep." Dark murmured.

"She's been though worse, hasn't she?" Krad asked over his shoulder and Dark shrugged. Dark's eyes fell to the girl as she slept. She looked so utterly peaceful. Dark gently brushed a stray piece of black hair from her face.

"I've always wondered why you're so drawn to her, Dark. You know she isn't like you or me." Krad remarked as he leaned against a wall with his arms crossed.

"What are implying?" Krad shrugged.

"How is it that a simple girl like her could captivate you so much? Has the Phantom thief Dark fallen in love?"

"Don't be stupid, I haven't fallen for her." Krad's eyebrow lifted.

"Really, because your actions say otherwise. Actions speak louder than words, Dark."

"Oh shut up, Krad."

"What will you do?"

"What?"

"What will you do if she dies?"

"That's not going to happen."

"How can you be sure? She is like you or me, Dark. She's part human, which makes her in danger of being killed. You and I are immoral, she isn't and I'm correct, she'll be the one to end up dead."

"Shut up!" Dark snapped. "I don't care if she isn't immoral like, what I know is I'll do everything I can to keep her safe and to make sure escapes alive."

"It's a lost cause." Krad muttered. Dark glared at his other half then turned back to Linian and With, who were still sound asleep. Linian began to moan and bite her lip. Dark touched her forehead and her moaning continued.

"Shh, It's okay Linian."

"Help...M-Me..." She murmured and Dark touched her face.

'What is she dreaming about?' He wondered.

"Dark, we're not alone anymore." Krad warned. Dark looked up to see spirits, these ones black and red like flames coming up from the floorboards. Krad drew a feather and blasted them back, keeping them from reaching the edge of the room they were occupying.

"Dark, we better get out of here!"

"She's not waking up!" Dark shook Linian but she didn't stir. With opened his eyes and started to bounce on her stomach, even then she didn't wake up.

"Aw crap." Dark scooped her up, coat and all and dashed for the door to find it was rooted in place by long black hair.

"Oh that's just great, now what?" Krad smirked. Dark turned to see Krad make a run for the cabinet.

"Krad, what the hell are you doing?!" Dark exclaimed. Krad punched the cabinet open and pulled a bottle from the cabinet and dashed back. Dark caught a glimpse of the label. Rubbing Alcohol. Krad doused the hair then flicked a small flame that he produced. The hair lit, leaving behind a bad smell and the door free to open. Krad kicked it open and they dashed out with Krad slamming the door behind them.

"God dammit, What the hell was that?!" Dark asked as he set Linian on the ground.

"I'm not sure, I think they were evil spirits." Linian started to cough and Dark held her up as she hacked. Her eyes opened.

"What happened?"

"You would asleep and we were attacked." Krad told her.

"By what?"

"Spirits."

"What color were they?" Krad and Dark shared a confused look.

"Black and red like flames." Dark said and Linian's eyes widened. She looked at the door of the infirmary.

"So that's why..." She muttered.

"Why what?" Dark asked perplexed.

"Those spirits were vengeful, it's a good thing you got out."

"What are you talking about?" Krad asked as he knelt next to them.

"Spirits are similar to people in the sense that there are good natured people in the world and ill natured people. The spirits that are helpful and good glow electric blue and the bad vengeful spirits are black and glow red like fire."

"So why didn't you wake up?" Dark asked.

"I don't know, probably something that spirits did." Krad looked back at the door.

"It's safe to assume that we shouldn't go in that room again."

"That's probably a smart choice." Dark agreed, pulling Linian to her feet.

"You both what this means right?" Linian asked and the two gave her a funny look.

"What does it mean?" Krad asked.

"It means we're in the game, and there's no backing out. It's either win... or die."

* * *

A/N: ANNNDDDD I'm back! Yes, this was hopefully really creepy. And this makes you realize just how much hangs in the balance. Anyways, I only own Linian, Akane and my characters. Hope you enjoyed this creepy installment. TTFN!


	4. Chapter 4

** Chapter four: Where we part ways...**

Linian shivered under Dark's coat as he carried her though the hallways, farther away from the infirmary. Cold chills, like the ones she felt when they first arrived traveled up her spine.

"Dark, I can walk." She meekly said, but he shook his head.

"It's a better idea that you don't, you twisted your ankle really bad. Besides, I don't mind carrying you." Linian rolled her eyes at him and Krad gave a slight snort. The three stopped on some stairs that led up to the third floor. With hopped up on Dark's shoulder as he leaned against the wall.

"So now what?" Krad asked as he leaned against the railing.

"We have no idea where to look to find the first victim's tongue. These corridors go on forever and they're all dark, the tongue could be in any of them."

"Well what do you suggest we do?" Dark asked with a frown.

"We could split up." Krad suggested.

"No! Bad idea." Linian stood shakily, holding the edges of Dark's coat around her shoulders.

"The spirit that helped us said it was better we stay together rather then split up. If we do split up, there's no telling what may happen."

"Linian's right about that. It's a better idea to stay together." Dark agreed. A cold breeze brushed over Linian and she turned.

"Dark, Krad, Look.." They turned to see a young girl standing at the top of the stairs, looking down on them with blank eyes. Her uniform was black with red and white trim and her brown hair was tied back with a red ribbon.

"Creepy girl." Dark muttered. Linian took a hold of the railing and slowly started to climb the stairs towards the girl, one by one.

"Hey, it's okay... I'm Linian. What's your name?" She asked gently and the girl didn't move. She just stared blankly at the ground. Her lips moved slightly, as if to speak but no words escaped. Linian took a step closer and she heard her voice.

"Though the thought of seeing my friends all dead gives me sadness, I can't stop apologizing, Mao, Seiko, all of you, I'm sorry that I'm so...Useless."

"She's gone insane." Linian muttered to herself.

"Being trapped here must have made her sanity become unhinged." The girl's head slowly lifted, until she made eye contact with Linian. Linian gasped.

'I... Can't move.' It was like she was frozen in place. She couldn't turn away from the girl or run. She could hear Krad and Dark calling to her, but she couldn't move.

"Save...Me..." The girl mumbled before her eyes closed. She fell backwards on the ground with a Thud and Linian exhaled. She dashed up the stairs and knelt at the girl's side, checking for any remote sigh of life. Krad and Dark joined her at the top of the stairs.

"She's dead."

"She was alive a moment ago, what do you mean she's dead?!" Dark asked.

"I don't know, but she lost her mind being trapped in this place. God knows how long she was trapped here." Linian stood and glanced back at the other two. Another cold breeze blew though the hall and Linian gasped. Her eyes drafted to the next stairs leading up to see nothing but black darkness that stretched beyond the staircase. Linian stared at the top of the staircase with clenched teeth. She knew that something, or someone was there, she just couldn't see in the darkness.

"Linian? What's the matter?" Dark asked but she didn't reply. Linian took a step up and the stair creaked under her weight.

"Ring around the rosy..." A childish female voice was heard from the darkness. The hairs on the back of the trio's necks stood on end as the voice echoed though the small stairwell. It echoed so much that they couldn't tell where the voice was emitting from.

"Pocket full of posies..." The line was said very slowly and Linian suppressed a shiver.

"Ashes... Ashes..." Linian frowned as she collected her courage. It wasn't the smartest thing, but it would prove that she wasn't afraid.

"We all fall down." Linian completed. A laugh, this one childish echoed though.

"Linian..." Dark said as he scanned for the person the laughter belonged to. With kyu'ed in a small voice and the stairwell began to violently shake. Linian gasped as she and Dark linked hands. Krad gritted his teeth as he braced himself against the wall, dodging falling debris.

"What the hell is going on?!"

"I don't know, but hang on tight!" Dark pulled her close and leaned against the wall with his arms shielding Linian. After a few moments of shaking and rumbling, everything went still. Dark and Linian glanced around.

"Krad?" Linian asked but there was no reply.

"Krad, where did you go?" Dark peered around the corner to see that his other half was no where to be seen.

"Kyu?"

"Where do you think he went?" Linian asked, her voice shaking with fear. Dark pulled her close.

"I don't know, but we'll find him. I'm sure that he's okay." Linian swallowed and nodded.

"Come on, this stairwell is giving me the creeps." Linian took a hold of Dark's hand and the two walked up to the third floor. Dark peered around the corridor to find nothing but darkness. Linian stepped up behind Dark and let out a strangled cry. She fell to her knees, clutching her head. Fear and agony were clear in her wide unblinking eyes.

"Linian, what's going on?" Dark asked kneeling. Panic and fear for what was happening to her in his voice. Her head fell forward and her hands kept her from falling to the wooden floor. Her bangs shielded her eyes from Dark.

"Linian...?" Dark asked. She looked up at him and he gasped in surprise. Her eyes were dull, like they were dead and they weren't bronze like before. They were dead soulless gray.

"Kyu..?" With asked. An unnaturally wide grin stretched across her face.

"What the hell?" Dark asked though clenched teeth.

"Come play with me, Dark..." She whispered and started to giggle. Dark turned to see a spirit watching not far.

"The poor girl, she's completely lost her mind and wouldn't get it back. Possession is a very ugly thing. To your own thoughts suppressed and replaced by another's." Dark looked down at the other angel, who was giggling madly.

"Possessed? We'll just see." Dark knelt and touched her forehead, making her freeze and her giggling stop.

"Linian, you need to break though. You're stronger, I know it. I've seen it myself..." Dark felt a presence inside resist, but after a few moments, her head lunged forward. Dark pulled his hand back and watched as Linian's eyes changed from soulless gray back to lively bronze.

"Ow... My head hurts." She muttered holding her head.

"At least you're back to normal." Dark muttered and she looked at him.

"What are you talking about?" Dark described the incident that occurred not a few moments ago.

"I was possessed?" Linian asked, her mind still trying to comprehend what she was told.

"Yea, and it was creepy." Dark stood and pulled Linian to her feet.

"Thanks." She murmured and he nodded. They walked silently though the hallway. Linian walked with her head down. She looked like she was very deep in her thoughts. Dark placed a protective arm around her shoulders and she just mumbled thanks.

"Linian? Is something on your mind?

"Hmm? I don't know."

"What wrong?" Linian and Dark met eyes and Dark saw very deep sorrow in her eyes. Sorrow that he couldn't begin to understand.

"When that little girl died on the staircase, I felt like I did when I found Katsan dying." She hugged her arms very tightly.

"I felt so helpless." She turned away and clenched her teeth as tears started to roll down her face. Dark's gaze softened.

"Linian..." He gave her a hug, letting her cry into his chest. He placed a hand on her head and the other on the small of her back.

"Linian, there wasn't anything you could do to help either of them. Look, it will be okay." Her sobbing soon quieted after a few minutes of just standing there with Dark comforting her. Linian pulled away from him and wiped her eyes.

"Thanks Dark, I'd probably drive myself insane if I was alone." Dark wrapped an arm around her and she smiled.

"You're welcome. Come on!"

* * *

A/n: Wow, I really haven't touched this one in a while. Poor Lin, she was possessed. But anyways, I only own Lin, Kat and my characters. Hope you enjoyed!


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